Fire-escape.



N5. 775,604.. PATENTED NOV .22,1904.

M. A. KIERNAN. I

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 5. 1904.

.NO M01521 UNITED STATES Patented. November 22, 1904.

MARY A. KIERNAN. OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,604, dated November 22, 1904.

' Application filed May 5, 1904. Serial No. 206,528. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARY A. KIERNAN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Fire- Escapes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like figures on the drawings representing like parts.

When high buildings get afire and elevators, Stairways, and other interior means of exit are cut ofl', it is often extremely difficult to rescue the occupants on the upper stories of the building because of the lack of proper appliances. The extension-ladders are useful to a certain degree in making such rescues; but this means of rescue is very slow and often uncertain.

It is the object of my invention to provide a novel fire apparatus by means of which occupants of the upper stories of high buildings can readily escape. The device comprises a vehicle having uprights at its ends on which is supported a platform, a net-holding frame pivoted to the uprights at their upper ends and extending above the same, and a net supported by said net-holding frame. When the apparatus is extended, the net occupies such a position that the occupants of the upper stories of the building can safely jump from the upper stories into the net.

Suitable means are provided for allowing the persons caught to descend onto the platform and from the platform to the ground, thus insuring the safe escape of occupants from the upper stories of a burning building.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improved device extended. Fig. 2 is a detail hereinafter described.

The framework of the vehicle is designated generally by 3, and at each end it has rising therefrom a pair of uprights 4. Said uprights support at their upper end a platform 5. Pivoted to the upper end of the pair of uprights at each end of the vehicle is a frame which forms one part of a net-supporting means. In this form of my invention each frame comprises a lower cross-piece 6, which is journaled in the upper end of the uprights 4, two upright side members 7, fast to the pivotal member 6 at their lower ends, and a cross-piece 19, connecting the upper ends of the side members 7. Mounted in bearings on each side member 7 is one arm, 8, of an L- shaped member, the other arm, 8, of which stands horizontally and extends lengthwise of the frame when the parts are in operative position. The lower end of the vertical arm 8 of each L-shaped member is provided with a suitable handle 9, by which the arm may be turned in its hearings on the side member 7 Any suitable means may be employed for locking each L-shaped member in its operative position.

The safety-net which I preferably employ is made up ofa plurality of parts. One section, 10, of said net is suspended from the two-arms 8 and the cross-piece 19 of the frame at one end, and another section, 11, of said net is similarly supported from the arms 8 and cross-piece 19 at the other end of the vehicle. These two net-sections 10 and 11 are entirely independent from each other. Beneath said net-sections and arranged to fill any gap which might exist between the two is a third net-section 12, which extends nearly the full length of the vehicle. The sides of the net-section 12 are connected to flexible supporting members 13, which are fastened at one end to the side members 7 of one of the frames, as at 1 1, and passes over a suitable guide-pulley 15 at the upper end of the side members at the opposite end of the vehicle. This flexible member extends to any suitable fastening devicesuch, for instance, as adrum. or Windlass 16, carried by the side frame. By tightening up and locking the Windlass 16 said flexible members can be made taut, and thus bring the net-section 12 into proper position.

The two net-supporting frames are, as stated above, pivoted to the uprights 4, whereby said frames may be folded down upon the platform 5 when the device is not in use, and thus be made to occupy a minimum amount of space. For the purpose of extending or collapsing the frames I have provided each side member 7 with a segmental gear 17, said gears meshing with suitable pinions 18, journaled in brackets or bearings on the uprights 1. By

turning the pinions 18 by any suitable means,

such as cranks 20, the net-supporting frames can be swung from their horizontal to their upright position or from their upright to their horizontal position. I prefer to provide each pinion 18 with a suitable drum 21, about which is wound a cord or other flexible connection 22, leading to the lower end of the adjacent side member 7, such flexible connection assisting the rack and pinion in raising or collapsing the net-supporting frames.

The net-sections 10 and 11 are provided with suitable exit-openings 22*, from which persons jumping into the net may escape, such exit-openings preferably being placed at the corners of said net-sections. 28 designates ladders which extend the length of the netsupporting sections and down which persons escaping from the exit-openings 22 may descend to the platform 5. From said platform the persons can descend to the ground'by means of ladders 24.

In order to steady the structure when in use, I have made the frame 3 extensible by providing at each end the extension-pieces 25, which when extended may be supported by suitable rests 26. The ladders 24 at each end of the structure are fastened at their lower ends to the extension-pieces 25 and at their upper ends are provided with rollers which run on a suitable track 27, which is secured to the under side of the platform 5. When the apparatus is not in use and is being transported to or from a fire, the sections 25 are moved inwardly, and during such movement they carry the ladders 24 with them, the upper ends of said ladders running along the trackways 27.

The drawings show the device in full lines in extended position, and when in use it will be placed in front of a building in which there is a fire, so that the occupants of the different rooms can jump through the windows into the safety-net. From the net they can descend to the ground through the exit-openings 22 and down the ladders 23 and 24, as above described. When it is desired to fold or collapse the structure for transportation, the vertical members 8 are turned, by means of the handles 9, to swing the arms 8 transversely of the vehicle. Thereafter the pinions 18 are turned to swing the net-supporting frame downward into the horizontal position, the flexible connections 13 being sufficiently loosened to permit such operation. Thereafter the frame-sections 25 are pushed together to reduce the length of the frame, the ladders 24 being carried inward with them. The device is now collapsed and ready for transportation or storage.

In case of fire after the apparatus has been taken to the building where it is to be used the extension-pieces 25 are first drawn outsupporting frames are thrown from their horizontal to their vertical position by means of gears 17 and 18. The arms 8 are then turned to swing the net-supporting arms 8 longitudinally of the vehicle, and thereafter the drum 16 is turned and the flexible connection 13 drawn taut, so as to bring the net-section 12 close up underneath the net-sections 10 and 11. The device is now ready for use, and occupants from the upper stories of high buildings can safely escape by merely jumping into the net. As fast as the people land in the net they will escape through the exit-openings and descend to the platform 5 by means of ladders 23 and from said platform to the ground by means of ladders 24. Whenever the sidewalk in front of a building is of such a width as to preclude the placing of the device suificiently near a building to permit persons safely jumping thereinto, the vertical arms 8 on the side toward the building may be turned to swing the arms 8 outward slightly, thus carrying the net nearer the building and partly over the sidewalk. to construct the apparatus of such a size that when it is extended the net will be fifty feet or more above the street-level, thus making it perfectly safe for occupants of the upper stories of high buildings to jump into it.

The net-supporting frames are locked in their upright position by any suitable means. It will be noted that the side members 7 of said frames extend some distance below the pivotal rod 6, and therefore the frames can be held in their elevated position by merely clamping or tying the lower ends of the side members to the uprights 4. In the form de-= sirable other ladders 24 can be employed for allowing people to descend from the plat form 5.

The device may be transported when not in use either by horse-power or by any suitable motive power.

While I have illustrated one form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the details of the construction shown, as these may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit of the invention expressed in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire-escape, a vehicle-body having uprights rising therefrom at eachend, a platform supported by said uprights and situated above the vehicle-body, a frame pivoted to the pair of uprights at each end of the vehi cle, net-supporting arms pivoted to the upper end of each frame, and nets carried by said arms and frames said nets being above theplatform.

2. ln a fire-escape, a vehicle, uprights at each end thereof, a platform supported by said uprights, a frame pivoted to the pair of uprights at each end of the vehicle, net-sup- It is my purpose porting arms pivoted to the upper end of each frame, nets carried by said arms and frames, and means to swing the arms transversely of the vehicle whereby one side of the nets may be carried toward the building.

3. In a fire-escape, a vehicle having a pair of uprights at each end, a platform at the upper ends of the uprights, a frame pivoted to the pair of uprights at each end of the vehicle, said frame having at its upper end means to support a net, a net carried by the frames, said net having exit-openings, and ladders carried by the frames whereby persons in the net may descend to the platform.

4. In a fireescape, an extensible vehiclebody, a pair of uprights at each end of said body, a platform at the upper end of the uprights, a frame pivoted to each pair of uprights, a net supported by said frames, a ladder on each frame connecting the net with the platform, and other ladders connecting the platform with the ends of the vehicle-body extensions whereby persons landing in the net can escape to the platform by means of the first-named ladders and from the platform by means of the last-named ladders.

5. In a fire-escape, a vehicle having a pair of uprights at each end, a platform at the upper ends of the uprights, a net-supporting frame pivoted to each pair of uprights, a pair of net-supporting arms carried by each netsupporting frame, a net-section supported by each pair of net-supporting arms, and a third net-section supported by flexible connections extending between the upper ends of the nets-upporting frames;

6. In a fire-escape, a body having extensible portions at each end, a platform supported above the vehicle-body, a folding net supporting frame at each end of the platform and extending above the same, a net supported by said frames, ladders on the frames con necting the net with the platform, and other ladders connecting the platform with the ends of the vehicle-body extensions, said latter ladders being fixed at their lower ends to said extensions and having a slidable connection at their upper end with the platform.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARY A. KIERNAN.

Witnesses LOUIS 0. SMITH, EMILY G. Honens. 

